T
ULSA —Oral Roberts University (ORU) broke ground on a new building for the third time in less than 30 days in a ceremony for the new Media Arts Center (MAC). This is the fourth new building for the expanding campus. The MAC will be home to ORU’s theatre, dance, music, and digital media departments. Construction is scheduled to begin in early December and the expected completion date is April 2024.
“The Media Arts Center will expand ORU’s legacy in the creative arts,” said ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson. “This new building expresses ORU’s unwavering mission to produce the highest quality education and training for next-generation artists. Audiences will have the privilege of experiencing aspiring students in theatre, music, dance, and media. We are grateful for the donors who envisioned the impact of the MAC as a thriving home for artists and audiences for many years to come.”
The MAC will be located on the north side of the ORU campus, joining the new Welcome Center and the J.D. McKean Library. The arts departments will have access to a 450-seat proscenium arched auditorium, along with a 144-seat music performance hall, and a 100-seat Black Box Theater. The performance spaces will provide dual functionality, also serving as teaching spaces.
The new building will also house faculty offices and support space for students. These include a green room, rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, and a costume shop. The dance department will have access to new rehearsal studios. Film and media students will study in state-of-the-art technology spaces, including a new digital production studio, AR/AV studio, and control room. Music students will have access to orchestra, choral, and practice rooms.
The two-story structure contains over 72,000 square feet of space. As with all the new ORU buildings, this construction will be completed debt-free and without usage of any tuition dollars. The expected cost of the MAC is $38 million.
Dr. Norm Mintle, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Cultural Studies at ORU, expressed the faculty’s excitement for the new Media Arts Center. “All our new facilities will be world class. From these studios and stages, ORU students will learn to master all phases of redemptive storytelling. Whether they end up producing epic Hollywood blockbusters, Broadway quality stage productions, or Bolshoi-worthy dance routines, our arts students will learn that timeless narratives require a complex harmony of production and performance. Now, Oral Roberts University is poised to provide a new home for its student storytellers and artists.”
ORU has made extensive additions and improvements to its campus in the last five years. Construction of the Global Learning Center, the Nursing and Engineering Complex, the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship and Niko Njotorahardjo Hall have all been completed. The new Welcome Center, J.D. McKean Library, the Mike Carter Athletic Center and the Media Arts Center will complete Phase One of the Whole Leaders for the Whole World Campaign. Phase Two includes a new meal service building and new student housing.
